Nokanyana and moremi
Have you ever stayed in a hotel where you sign an indemnification form when you check in, and where you must be escorted to your room every night? Well, I have! We stayed in a lodge located in Nokanyana, near the Moremi Game Reserve and the southwest corner of Chobe National Park. We were glamping, which I love now! The lodge had really cute decorations and great, friendly and welcoming vibes. What I loved especially about this lodge is that the property was not fenced in at all! We were able to see elephants, buffalo, and hippos from the lounge areas, from the restaurant, and even from our rooms!
Here we enjoyed a total of 5 game drives with our amazing guide, Chili B. That is his real name!! He has an amazing laugh and a bright smile. He was funny, kind hearted, and great with kids - which was important because we were a rowdy bunch!!
We saw some new animals, but also some of the favorite animals we had seen previously. Here, we had some really magical standout moments:
Sunsets. African sunsets are just magical. The sun projects this golden color onto all living things, which makes the scenery glow with warmth and softness. Everything becomes a pastel pink and golden. The sky will light up into magnificent reds, oranges, and pinks.
Giraffes. We saw groups of about 20 giraffes! What I love about giraffes is that each pattern is different – like a fingerprint – no one is the same. Some are very light and white, while others are dark in color.
Zebras. We saw zebras here for the first time. They are very pretty animals, and just like giraffes, each pattern is unique to them! We saw many herds that were just grazing along with impalas and wildebeests.
Lion. We were on our way to enjoy a sunset, when one of Chili B’s colleagues spotted a male lion resting in the tall grass and radioed its location to us. Chili B explained to us that this male lion just made a kill (a buffalo to be exact - we actually saw it!) and he was pretty tense after that experience. He would jump at any sudden movements, so we ust had to sit perfectly still and not make a sound! The lion did not mind us at all, even when we got very close.
Leopard. The last animal we spotted was the 4th animal from The Big 5! Leopards are hard to spot because they are always on the move and they can cover up to 20 miles per day! We saw this leopard all thanks to Chili B; he was a real animal detective! He was extremely vigilant and “in the zone,” not letting anybody distract him. He first spotted the fresh leopard tracks in one area. Then, he heard birds squawking in a tree (he later explained to us that if birds are squawking in a tree, it is a signal that means a predator is on the ground below them). He really stepped on the gas! We went far into the bush and swerved around several trees until we spotted the leopard quietly walking along a path. It was not what I expected at all! She was a small female, not fully grown yet. Her colors were so vibrant. Her spots stood out against the green and tan scenery.
Being at Nokanyana was the perfect way to wrap up our time on our safari. We got to see incredible and diverse wildlife and nature. And, we totally lucked out with Chili B!
